


My Lover is a Day I Can't Forget

by Risottos_Little_Gay_Hat



Category: One Piece
Genre: Fluff, Gift Fic, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:47:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25821613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Risottos_Little_Gay_Hat/pseuds/Risottos_Little_Gay_Hat
Summary: Should’ve worn a suit. He thought with a grumble, toeing the pavement. Wait, nah. Would’ve been too stuffy… then again. Paulie kicked a stray pebble away and grit his teeth, frustration beginning to knot his brows together. This is a date, I should be dressed up for a date! Maybe it’s not too late to go and get changed -“Paulie!”
Relationships: Paulie (One Piece)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	My Lover is a Day I Can't Forget

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Creativitee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creativitee/gifts).



> Gift fic for @Creativitee !

Paulie was waiting outside Gate 1, dressed in his usual attire, save for the sawdust he’d patted off his pants and the jacket he’d straightened. It was a special occasion, afterall, special enough to polish even the goggles atop his head until they shined. The pride of Galley-La - of Water 7 - was standing ramrod straight and twiddling his thumbs. He was nervous.

_ Should’ve worn a suit. _ He thought with a grumble, toeing the pavement.  _ Wait, nah. Would’ve been too stuffy… then again. _ Paulie kicked a stray pebble away and grit his teeth, frustration beginning to knot his brows together.  _ This is a date, I should be dressed up for a date! Maybe it’s not too late to go and get changed - _

“Paulie!”

The blonde was interrupted before he could kick another pebble. Worried thoughts and bubbling frustration melting away when his name was called by a sweet voice. A voice that was like music to his ears, that could put him on Cloud-Nine any day of the week.

Excitedly, Paulie snuffed out his cigar underfoot and turned around with a wide, toothy smile on his sun-kissed face. Arms preemptively outstretched, ready to catch his lover who had an adorable habit of diving into him for a hug.

Instead, the blonde froze when he caught sight of her outfit. Snug, striped shorts accompanied by knee-high heeled boots that clicked on the paving as she skipped toward him. Her usual crop-top, signature heart earrings and pink, wavy hair held in place by a bandana. 

_ Oh, thank God, she’s dressed casually as well. _ He paused.  _ Wait, that’s not the issue here - _

Paulie’s eyes travelled back down her body, lingering on her legs. Then he yelled, face flushing a deep red as he pointed, flustered and accusational. 

“ _ Rory! _ Your legs, they - !”

A giggle interrupted him; “yeah, my legs, you have some too, you know. Ever looked down?”

“That’s not what I -”

“Oh…? Then, you don’t like my legs?” Rory feigned hurt, a pout pushing at her pink lips as she tried her best to look upset at Paulie’s expected ‘outburst’. 

“No -  _ No! _ I love your legs! I mean, I -” Paulie’s face flushed a deeper shade of red, stumbling over his words as he rubbed the back of his head and looked away “‘s not what I meant and you know it.”

Rory laughed again, walking over to stand by his side and hold onto his arm, swinging it back-and-forth gently. She looked up at the taller man, smiling wide with a mischievous glint in her uncovered eye.

“So,”

“So.” Paulie repeated, exhaling slowly through his nose, trying to calm the blush that raged across his cheeks.

“What did you have planned for us today, handsome?”

Paulie coughed suddenly, the blush returning to his face with a new-found vengeance. “Well,” he cleared his throat, “I hired us some Yagara Bull’s to take us through the marketplace, ‘s a nice day out. Thought we could maybe grab somethin’ to eat, too.”

“Sounds fun!” Rory exclaimed, swinging their arms with more vigor. “Lead the way, Paulie!”

Paulie doesn’t believe his heart will ever get used to his name coming from her lips, so saccharine and just about dripping with adoration for him - _ just _ for him. All he could muster was a nod, followed by a grunt. He pulled his arm back just enough so that he could capture Rory’s hand in his own, intertwining their fingers together. 

She felt so delicate - small even - against his large, calloused hands. He swallowed and looked down when she’d stayed silent, and was met with an equally red face. 

“... ‘s this okay?”

“Mm.” Rory nodded, too shy to look up and meet his gaze. “It’s okay.”

Paulie smiled, a relieved exhale was pushed from his nose and he squeezed her hand reassuringly as he began to lead the way. 

The sky a brilliant blue above them and fragments of light dancing atop the water beside them. Idle, cheery chatter of townsfolk and tourists alike were lost on their ears. Rory’s hand in his, their playful back-and-forth quips. When it was like this, Paulie could never tell if it was the midday sun shining down on him, or if it was Rory’s presence that made him feel like he was surrounded by an inescapable - almost overwhelming - warmth. 

When they arrived at the Bull, Paulie was first to step onto the boat, chivalrously holding his hand out for Rory to take with a playful wink. He knew she had a knack for falling, even when it seemed impossible. Paulie always thought it was cute; the surprised noise she’d make and the way her arms would pinwheel - or how she’d stand, victorious, when she would catch herself before falling over completely. 

Rory stepped onto the boat next, the toe of her boot caught the pavement and sent her forward with an undignified yelp. She landed against Paulie’s chest, sturdy as one of his hands came up to rest on her lower back and steady her, the other hand squeezing her own.

“Careful,” he tried to hide a smile and conceal the amusement in his voice as he began to teasingly scold her; “honestly, you’re always so clumsy… are you alright, ain’t hurt are ya?”

Rory could feel her face burning up; opening and closing her mouth once, twice, she gave up with an embarrassed squeak and hid her face in his chest. Sliding down his strong body, she sat in the chair behind her.

“I’m okay, thank you - sorry.” She fell quiet. “Nice catch…” Looking up, she met his eyes with a tiny smile and tinted cheeks.

After a moment's pause, they both began to laugh.

The bull ride was surprisingly calm; no chaos at all, which was a feat when it came to these two, especially when paired together. If it didn’t come in the form of Rory falling over the side of the boat - or worse - capsizing the entire thing, then it was Paulie being spotted by those damn persistent tax collectors and insisting they should run, hide or both. 

No, this time it was calm. Intimate even, as they talked amongst themselves, bobbing along the canal gently, occasionally stopping at a market stall to browse what was on display. One such stall was a Jewellers; handcrafted goods that ranged from expensive, elegant metals with intricate engravings and adorned with gemstones to accessories with a much more homey, rustic appearance. Regardless, they were all eye-catching pieces made with equal amounts of love.

Paulie was occupied with gazing back-and-forth between a handful of earrings; pink sapphires wrapped in delicate golds, pearls placed in sturdy silvers or rose quartz accompanied with specks of clear diamonds. It didn’t matter which he’d choose, really, he couldn’t afford any of them anyway. 

He opened his wallet and a moth may as well have comically flown out.  _ I wanna get Rory a gift, dammit! _ Paulie closed his eyes, brows knit together as he began to do some calculations; _ I don’t pay rent anyway, maybe I could gamble less… no, eat less…?  _

It was then he felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned to see Rory beaming at him, her hands clasping a set of matching bracelets. Little painted stones and bits of iridescent seashells attached to a thick piece of string; they looked far too delicate for a man who worked as a shipwright, or for someone as clumsy as Rory, for that matter. 

Giddily, Rory motioned for Paulie to hold out his wrist - which he complied to almost instantaneously - and she fastened the colourful bracelet around his tanned wrist before doing the same with her own. 

Paulie stared at his wrist, he had to admit… the multicoloured accessory made him feel a little childish, but… When he looked back up at his lover and saw how happy it made her, he couldn’t bring himself to care about that anymore.  _ Besides, if anyone opens their mouth I can just hit them. _

The couple continued to browse stalls as they drifted toward the edge of the marketplace. It was only when Paulie’s stomach growled - eliciting a laugh followed by a playful jab to his side from Rory - and her own stomach growling in return (which Paulie grinned back at her for) did they decide it was time to grab a bite.

Fortunately, as they began to travel down the quieter side streets of midtown, they came across a small, old-fashioned cafe with the name ‘Parfait Parlour’ inscribed beautifully on painted metals, hung from a wooden sign above the door. The large shop front windows held a selection of colourful, eye-catching treats lined neatly in rows. Past the displays, a handful of couples sat together around small tables, keeping to themselves - however the cobbled courtyard space outside the cafe had yet to be disturbed by anyone. It was perfect.

They dismounted the bull with a ‘thank you’ and headed toward the impressive wooden doors which were, upon closer inspection, engraved with patterns of waves and seashells. The countertops were made of white marble, manned by an older woman dressed in a pristine, formal uniform. Paulie momentarily wondered if they could even afford this. 

Once closer though, Paulie caught sight of the prices nestled amongst the desserts. Expensive, sure, but not  _ ‘jaw-droppingly, awkwardly leave the building’ _ expensive. With that worry out the way, Paulie found himself with another dilemma; what the hell should he even order? The size of the selection was enough to make his head spin. 

Rory, on the other hand, was quick to decide once she spotted her all-time favourite; cannoli. She only paused when it came to a difficult decision - does she order classic ricotta or chocolate chips? Noticing her dilemma, Paulei asked the woman behind the counter for a portion of both and offered Rory a proud grin. 

“Not just a pretty face afterall,” Rory joked.

“Well…  _ Oi - !” _ He feigned a smile and pinched her cheek, “I’ll eat all ya’ cannoli if ya’ keep makin’ fun of me like that!”

Rory laughed and wailed a faint  _ ‘nooo’ _ at the faux threat. “Then I’ll eat your - oh, you haven’t decided yet… but I’ll eat it anyway - !” 

It was Paulie’s turn to laugh as he returned his attention back to the counter. In the end he ordered a sundae, extravagant in size and the sheer amount of toppings; chocolate sauce, whipped cream, chopped nuts, wafer, caramel - and of course, the cherry on top, which Rory deftly plucked and popped into her mouth with a mischievous little grin before they’d even walked away from the counter.

Since the weather was so pleasant, it would be a shame to waste it indoors - and the emptiness of the courtyard was also rather tempting. Taking a table that wasn’t too close to the water’s edge was just a precaution - something, or someone, would fall in knowing their shared luck. 

It was a quiet area, shops and stalls becoming sparse as the canals branched into the surrounding residential area. Few people came past, and all that can be heard is the distant clatter of the market crowds echoing through the high-rise walls. From another direction, the sound of a resident practicing some form of brass instrument in their nearby apartment could be heard. Smooth, deep, skilled… and incredibly romantic. Hell, Paulie couldn’t ignore how wonderfully cliche this moment felt, as if it had been torn directly from a feel-good genre of book. 

The shadows of small clouds created blotches on the cobbles, moving as though they were swaying to the rhythm of the far-off instrument. Paulie noticed that his lover was joining in too, tapping her foot in time to the beat and humming slightly as she popped another treat into her mouth, sounding - and looking - content. 

_ Damn, those cannoli’s look delicious _ . Paulie was practically eating them alongside Rory with the way his gaze never left them - or her, for that matter. It was then the blonde had an idea.

“Rory,”

“Mm?” She looked up, cocking her head as if to ask _ ‘what is it?’ _ whilst she chewed the food in her mouth.

“Give me one of your cannoli and I’ll give you a spoonful of my sundae?”

She swallowed and smiled, “sure! Classic or chocolate chips?”

“Either is fine,” Admittedly, Paulie didn’t mind which he tried, he just wanted to know if they really tasted as amazing as Rory was unintentionally making them out to be.

Paulie popped the pastry in his mouth, chewing slow. “Always imagined them being a little softer,” he mused to himself.

“That would mean they’re stale, dummy.” Rory quipped, biting into another with an audible crunch.

With a laugh, Paulie agreed. “Anyway, say  _ ‘aah~ _ ’ for me,” he teased, holding up a spoonful of his sundae. 

Rory complied, mimicking his ‘ _ aah~ _ ’, despite the growing blush on her cheeks. It was refreshing and sickly-sweet - and maybe just a little bit too cold as Rory held her cheek with a hand, swallowing. 

A spot of whipped cream was caught on the corner of her lips, and with what felt like an entire butterfly house in his stomach, Paulie leaned across the table and kissed away the stray cream. It was a barely-there touch, and yet the blonde found every single one of his nerves were on fire from it. Burning up, Paulie sat back and hid his lower face behind a napkin, pretending to wipe away stray crumbs as he tried to regain his composure.

Rory felt a blush swell in her chest, creep up her neck and spread across her cheeks to the very tips of her ears.

“You had something on your face,” Paulie coughs.

With that, Rory hides her face in her hands, but not before Paulie caught sight of a very obviously love-drunk, overwhelmed smile. 

“Did I?” She spoke, muffled from behind her hands.

“Mmh, yeah.” 

A pause, then Rory continues, “did it taste sweet?”

“Yeah,”

Moving her hands aside slightly, Rory glances away and asks in a timid voice; “do you… want another taste?”

Paulie can’t help himself, pushing up to lean across the table once more and catch his lovers lips in an excitable, tender kiss.

“Always.” he gasps, voice low before placing another kiss on her soft lips. Another, and another. He keeps doing so until the pair of them begin to smile into their kisses and slowly dissolve into fits of quietened laughter, almost bursting with suppressed giddiness. 

“I love you,”   
  


“And I love you too.”

Touching the bracelet around his wrist, Paulie wished this moment would last for a lifetime. 


End file.
